Bravo, Aura M.

Burkart, Stefan

Enciso, Karen

Bravo Parra, Aura María

CGSpace

Tropentag, September 17-19, 2018, Ghent“Global food security and food safety:The role of universities”Identification of Bottlenecks and Opportunities for the Beef ValueChain of Córdoba, ColombiaKaren Enciso, Aura Bravo, Stefan BurkartInternational Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), ColombiaAbstractThe cattle sector in the Colombian Caribbean region prefigures the most important eco-nomic activity at a regional level and counts with the best connections to the internationalmarket when compared to the rest of the country. However, there exist important bott-lenecks that reduce the sector’s competitiveness and hinder efforts for achieving a jointmarket vision, quality assurance systems and value chain sustainability. It is therefore ne-cessary to understand the complexities and interconnections of the value chain through anintegral value chain approach and to set the basis for the definition of potential marketsand their development and a value chain action plan. The objective of this study was toidentify the most relevant bottlenecks and opportunities of the beef value chain in theColombian Córdoba Department in order to provide the necessary inputs for increasing itsadded value and market share. In the framework of a research agreement between CIATand Corpoica aimed at strengthening the cattle sector in the region, we conducted semi-structured interviews and a participatory value chain workshop with the main value chainactors in 2017 using the following methodologies: Participatory analysis of market chainsfor small producers and ValueLinks. Together with the value chain actors, we were able todefine the state of the art of the value chain and map it, review market opportunities andcompetitive advantages and identify the most relevant bottlenecks for each link. Amongthe main results, it was possible to identify three strategic axes that respond to the mainstructural bottlenecks of the sector: i) sustainable intensification, ii) search for differentia-ted markets, and iii) improvement of the articulation between direct and indirect actors,especially in technical assistance and credit services. The results of this research will bea key input for the construction of strategic plans for a sustainable development of theregion’s most important economic sector, seeking to increase its added value, share in thedomestic market and access to high-value international markets.Keywords: Beef, cattle production, market access, sustainability, value chainContact Address: Stefan Burkart, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Trop. Forages Program,Km 17 Recta Cali-Palmira, Cali, Colombia, e-mail: s.burkart@cgiar.org

Identification of bottlenecks and opportunities for the beef value chain of Córdoba, Colombia

Identification of bottlenecks and opportunities for the beef value chain of Córdoba, ColombiaTropentag 2018 September 17–19, 2018Ghent, BelgiumStefan  Burkart; Karen Enciso; Aura BravoSocioeconomic area, Tropical Forages Programs.burkart@cgiar.orgIntroductionColombian Caribbean region• Population: 11,275,000 hab. (22.6% of total).• Area: 132,288 km2 (11.6% of total).• The cattle sector prefigures the most important economic activity at regional level.• Best infrastructure for accessing international meat markets, compared to the rest of the country.• Existing bottlenecks reduce competitiveness, hamper efforts to achieve a joint market vision and aggravate quality assurance in and sustainability of the VC.• Understanding these complexities and interconnections is a first step towards the definition of an action plan and the development of potential new markets.AndeanEastern plainsAmazonPacificHarbors in the Caribbean region:La GuajiraSanta MartaCiénagaBarranquillaCartagenaMorrosquilloUrabáBy Shadowfox(CC BY-SA 4.0)ObjectiveTo identify the most relevant bottlenecks and opportunities for the beef value chain (VC) in the Colombian Córdoba Department, in order to provide information on how to increase efficiency, added value and market participation.Farms Transformation Packaging Marketing ConsumptionMaterials and methodsStudy area: Córdoba Department, Colombia Value Chain: Bovine meatMethodology: Based on the approaches• “Participatory Market Chain Analysis for Smallholder Producers” (Lundy et al, 2007 ) hdl.handle.net/10568/54198• “ValueLinks manual: The methodology of value chain promotion” (Springer-Heinze, 2007). hdl.handle.net/10568/25053By Shadowfox(CC BY-SA 3.0)Methodological steps of a VC improvement programAdvance on key objectives: Identification of the relationships and interconnections between the VC actors, product, service and information flows Improvement in communication between the different actors along the VC. Identification and analysis of bottlenecks that need to be solved in order to improve the VC.Data collection• Compilation of information from secondary sources.• Semi-structured personal interviews (11 direct VC actors).• 1 Focus group discussion (11 cattle experts from the department).• 1 participatory multi-actor workshop (36 direct and indirect VC actors).Results Figure. Map of the bovine meat value chain of the Córdoba Department, Colombia.Sustainable intensification • The impact of technical assistance is insignificant• Limited access to credit • Absence of credit lines that encourage transformation • Lack of comprehensive support packages adapted to the conditions of the region/subregions and VC segment. • Low productivity and profitability of the primary VC segment• Prevalence of extensive production models with negative effects on the environmentDifferentiated markets • Weak market vision of the cattle sector• Farms are not seen as businesses• Low levels of industrialization of the sector• No identified alternatives for the development of meat products with differentiated characteristics• There are no projects/programs that promote the process of value generation at farm level• Low levels of product standardization (high genetic variability, many crosses and breeds)Communication and cooperation among (direct and indirect) actors • Weak institutional framework• There is no continuity with the goals and commitments defined at different roundtables established previously. This affects the confidence in such processes.• Absence of a solid / strong organized structure along the chain that improves competitiveness• High levels of intermediation along the chain• Absence of cooperation mechanisms within and between the links of the chainResults The identified bottlenecks were grouped into the following three pillars:Next stepsDesign of a competitive sector strategy for the Department of Córdoba:Building a joint visionA vision for improvement for at least 10 years as a result of theparticipatory and inclusive processamong the actors.Designing an action planIncludes activities, actions, responsibilities and deadlines.Identifying possible alliancesfor inclusive businessesLinkages between producers and potential buyersReflections on the methodology (1)The participatory approach guarantees equitable participation, transparency and the development of associations and networks among VC actors.The participatory workshop allowed the different actors to get to know the points of view and difficulties faced by each actor and each VC segment.The work carried out promoted the generation of bonds of trust between the actors, who demonstrated their motivation for and commitment with participatory VC development.The state of the art of the chain obtained in the first phase of the study represents a key input for the construction of a competitive sector strategyand strategic plans for sustainable sector development.Reflections on the methodology (2)The construction of the state of the art of the VC can be a complex process given the lack of information and reliable statistics.In this sense, continuous participatory work and collective feedback is key to identifying such shortcomings and making the diagnosis and context of the chain more realistic.It takes time to make progress on the construction of a competitive sector strategy. This requires long-term availability of funds and strong commitment from all involved actors.After the strategy has been built, it is advisable to create a VC committee that follows up on the established actions, in order to assure compliance and long-term sustainability.This committee should also work as a lobbying institution for public policy making.Thank you!ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis work was done as part of the research agreement "Strategies to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of livestock and milk production systems in the Caribbean region and inter-Andean valleys of Colombia", between CIAT and AGROSAVIA and funded by AGROSAVIA.This work was done as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Livestock. We thank all donors that globally support our work through their contributions to the CGIAR system.

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Identification of bottlenecks and opportunities for the beef value chain of Córdoba, Colombia

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